Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Lifted to Hold at StockNews.com

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

GPI has been the topic of a number of other reports. Stephens initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $396.80.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of GPI stock opened at $350.36 on Wednesday. Group 1 Automotive has a 12 month low of $228.84 and a 12 month high of $393.93. The company has a market cap of $4.74 billion, a PE ratio of 8.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The business’s 50 day moving average is $364.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $326.42.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.36 by $0.44. The business had revenue of $4.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $11.73 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.39 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value of $421,188.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $21,296,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 52.3% during the first quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $633,000 after buying an additional 743 shares in the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 14.0% in the first quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 91,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,856,000 after acquiring an additional 11,300 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,808 shares of the company’s stock worth $528,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter worth approximately $247,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts, as well as service and insurance contracts; arranges related vehicle financing; and offers automotive maintenance and repair services.